Challenge

KIPP Bay Area Schools is committed to helping its students achieve academic excellence. With KIPP’s rapid expansion, the system was increasingly overwhelmed by the time-consuming and resource-intensive process of paper-based application and enrollment. Each year, KIPP was deluged by more than 150,000 sheets of paper from over 5,000 applicants and needed a more seamless and efficient solution. KIPP turned to SchoolMint for a streamlined online enrollment platform that not only saves time, but also makes the school staff’s jobs easier.

Solution

“We spent a lot of time looking at several online enrollment products, and SchoolMint really stood out for us,” says Cindy Tsai, Director of Regional Operations at KIPP Bay Area. “We liked the fact that they understood our specific needs and were really willing to work with us to optimize the system. Also, the user interface is much easier to use and is more intuitive than the other platforms we looked at. The great design and commitment to service are truly outstanding.”

“We liked the fact that they understood our specific needs and were really willing to work with us to optimize the system. Also, the user interface is much easier to use and is more intuitive than the other platforms we looked at. The great design and commitment to service are truly outstanding.”
—Cindy Tsai, Director of Regional Operations, KIPP Bay Area

Benefits

SchoolMint’s Administrative Portal lets authorized personnel quickly access critical real-time enrollment and demographic data. Staff can easily track the number of applicants, know their status at all times, manage waitlists, and view the total number of acceptances throughout the process. The Communications Portal facilitates parent-school interactions with texts, emails, and phone calls; it also automatically sends personalized messages, reminders, and updates to parents during the school year. The SchoolMint team worked closely with KIIP Bay Area to provide a solution that is not only paperless but automatically manages admissions and student data across the board.

“The immediacy of the access to data has been a real game-changer for us,” observes Liz Coffin-Karlin, KIPP High School Matriculation Coordinator. “SchoolMint makes it easy to stay in direct and immediate contact with parents. Getting into schools is very competitive; if the application isn’t completed in time, the student doesn’t get in.”

Tsai also found SchoolMint’s dedicated support team to be a key factor in the success of the implementation. “A big part of our mission is to make sure kids go on to higher education.” adds Coffin-Karlin. “Eighty-six percent of our students continue to college, and we’re always searching for ways to make those numbers even higher. SchoolMint automates the time-consuming enrollment process so that we can focus on what really matters to us: helping students succeed.”